Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Some PC gaming enthusiasts think that their platform of choice will someday render consoles and dedicated portables obsolete. This view is wrong for the following reasons:

1.) Consoles and Portables are cheaper than Gaming quality PC's.

Let's break it down via manufacturer. I did not bother citing sources by providing hyperlinks for the prices I found. They are likely to change fairly often and the links wouldn't be all that helpful. All prices were found online on 10 March 2015.

MICROSOFT

XBOX 360 - According to Wal-Mart's website, various bundles are being sold for $180-250

XBOX One - $500 AT LAUNCH, recently reduced to $350.

SONY

PS3 - Anywhere from $140 to $275, depending on HDD size, game bundles and whether or not the system is new or used.

PS4 - $400

PS Vita - $200, maybe a little more or less, depending on the source. May have pack-in game or not.

So, I can build a PC for $600 that will be decent for playing games for MAYBE a year or so before needing a potentially expensive hardware upgrade. Or, I can buy any of the 5 consoles and/or 4 portables being supported right now and get many years of enjoyment from new releases on newer consoles or rather impressive back catalogs for older ones like PS3 & XBOX 360. Keep in mind that all of Nintendo's current hardware offerings are also backward-compatible with the original Wii and DS, giving me thousands more choices that I will probably not get anywhere else. And ALL of the current consoles and portables are anywhere from $200 to $400 less than the PC and are pretty much ready to go straight out of the box. PC's might have better graphics but, cost-wise, they are at a tremendous disadvantage here.

2.) PC games are a pain in the ass to get working, compared to consoles and portables.

PC games require installation, configuration and making sure you have the right video/sound cards, processor, drivers, etc. etc. etc. And God help you if you are trying to get an older PC game to work on a newer version of Windows. :/

Other than downloading updates for games on the 7th and 8th Generation devices, Consoles and portables don't have that problem.

And no, the recent announcement that Nintendo will be releasing titles on
smartphones doesn't counteract this talking point. Their AAA material
(and HUGE back catalog of hits) will always be released on their own
proprietary hardware. The cell phone games are just going to be simple
little things that are meant to drive people to buying their hardware
and the games for that hardware. They've done these sort of things
before. For example, the e-Reader accessory for the GBA. Most of the e-cards made for that accessory were all cards designed to add levels and items to games on the GBA or GameCube. The others were either really simple games like Kirby Slide, a re-release of the Game & Watch titles and some of the earliest NES titles.

4.) Physical copies of games are still the norm with consoles and portables. PC games are starting to be released only through download services like Steam.

Not everyone wants to use Steam. Physical copies are tangible and can be enjoyed for generations of the family or resold when you no longer want them. Digital copies, for now at least, cannot be traded or resold. That makes it rather difficult to get some of your money back by reselling a game you didn't like to a re-seller like GameStop, Amazon or Wal-Mart.

And no, game companies do not deserve a piece of the action when I decide to resell my games. Would GM be entitled to a slice if I decided to sell my long since paid-for Chevrolet? Of course not!

5.) Nintendo is NEVER going to release games on a platform that they don't control. MICROSOFT isn't likely to walk away from a business where they have significant marketshare, either.

So, that is ONE company that is always going to make it's own hardware rather than developing for Windows PC, MacOS, iOS, Linux or Android. They like having control over the hardware because that way, they will know exactly how to wring the most out of it for the best game experiences. If there is one hardware manufacturer around today that can keep consoles and portables alive, it would be Nintendo. They make a profit from virtually everything they produce.

To my knowledge, Microsoft has not made a single dime from the XBOX division. Sony makes money from their PlayStation division but, everything else they do is losing money right now. So, among the current crop of gaming hardware makers, Nintendo is the one in the best financial position to keep consoles/portables alive. That's also assuming that Microsoft doesn't decide to take more money from their other operations to keep funding the XBOX division, which I'm sure they would. XBOX gave them huge marketshare in console gaming and PC games have never been very profitable for them. Why would they walk away now when they've established themselves as a major player in the industry?

While we're on the subject, why are they *not* releasing a portable? Nintendo needs the competition and the PS Vita just isn't getting that job done right now.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

The Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN) hasn't been releasing a lot of videos as of late. I know why, the show's creator/star, James Rolfe, has been busy with other projects. However, there are still MANY shitty games out there to review. So, I went through my massive collection and found a few genuine duds that deserve a good thrashing from the Nerd. I've also included a few titles I don't have anymore and a few that weren't bad but, would still be interesting to be seen reviewed.

Keep in mind that this list is just stuff from my own personal collection in my Game Room of DOOM, and a few I remember from years ago but, don't have anymore. There are bound to be numerous others just ripe for parody as well.

An
Irishman walks into a pub and orders dozens of martinis, removing the
olives, placing them in a jar, and drinking the martinis. When the jar
is filled with olives and all the martinis drank, he starts to leave.

The bartender stops him and asks, “Excuse me but, what was that all about?”

The Irishman replies, “My wife sent me out for a jar of olives.”

The Lord works in mysterious ways...

An
Irish priest is driving down a highway and is pulled over for speeding.
The policeman smells alcohol on the priest’s breath and then sees an
empty wine bottle beside him. He asks the priest, “Sir, have you been drinking?”

The priest responds, “No officer, just water.”

The policeman asks, “Then why do I smell wine?”

The priest looks at the bottle and says, “The Good Lord! He’s done it again!”

Flaherty's devilish wife...

Flaherty
comes home drunk every evening, upsetting his wife. One night, she
dresses as a red devil and hides in the cemetery to scare him when he
walks by. Flaherty walks by drunk and his wife jumps up yelling, “Flaherty, if you don’t give up your drinking, you will go to Hell.”

Pat
and Murphy out fishing and the boat motor dies. After two days and
drifting miles from the coast, they find a bottle in the water. Pat rubs
the bottle and a genie poofs out.

“I will grant you one wish.” says the genie.

Without a thought, Pat says, “I wish to turn the sea into Guinness.”

The genie says, “Your wish is my command.” and the sea turns into Guinness.

Murphy yells at Pat, “You fool! Now, we’ll have to pee in the boat!”

Bringing the wife with you to the Pub...

A woman follows her husband to the pub and takes a sip of his Guinness and asks him, “How can you come here and drink this awful stuff?”

He cries out with a pained look on his face, “And you always said I was out enjoying myself!”

Drinking Buddies

Pat and Mike have been drinking buddies for years. One day, after having a few beers, Mike says to Pat, “We
have been friends for years and, if I should die before you, would you
do me a favor? I want you to get the best bottle of Irish whiskey and
pour it over my grave.”

Pat replies, “I would be glad to do that for you, old friend, but would you mind if I passed it through my bladder first?”

“There was an accident down at the Guinness brewery.” said Finnegan. “I’m sorry, Seamus is dead and gone.”

“Oh God, no!” exclaimed Mrs. O’Malley as she collapsed into a chair and wept.

“How did it happen?” she asked.

“He fell into a vat of Guineas and drowned.” Finnegan explained.

“Oh my dear Jesus! Did he at least go quickly?” Mrs. O’Malley asked.

“Well, no. He got out three times to pee.”

The Toast of the Evening...

Paddy Reilly hoisted his beer and said: “Here’s to spending the rest of me life between the legs of me wife!” – and he took home the top prize for the best toast of the night.

In bed later that night, he told his wife: “Mary, I won the prize for the best toast of the night.”

She said, “Aye, Paddy, what was your toast?”

So he told her: “Here’s to spending the rest of me life sitting in church beside me wife.”

“Oh,” she said, “that is very nice, dear.”

The next day, Mary ran into one of Paddy’s drinking buddies in the street. Mischievously, the man said: “Did you hear about your husband winning a prize in the pub last night for a toast about you, Mary?”

She replied: “Aye
– and I was a bit surprised. Till now, he’s only been down there twice.
Once he fell asleep, and the other time I had to pull him by the ears
to make him come.”

1.) "When you have made evil the means of survival, do not expect men to remain good. Do not expect them to stay moral and lose their lives for the purpose of becoming the fodder of the immoral. Do not expect them to produce, when production is punished and looting rewarded. Do not ask, 'Who is destroying the world?' You are." - Ayn Rand

The only Ayn Rand quote that sounds agreeable to me. And that is mostly because I haven't read any of her work. I just haven't had the time.

2.) "There's a reason you separate the military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people." - Commander William Adama, Battlestar Galactica

And this quote was made in one of the early episodes of the reboot series, circa 2004. That was years before the disturbing trend of police departments across America becoming increasingly more militarized.

3.) "The nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools." - Thucydides, author of 'The History of the Peloponnesian War' and the Father of "Scientific History"

Looks like the Greeks had a problem with recruiting too many young dumbasses for military service too... Disturbing...

4.) "The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before
you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in
tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and
daughters." - Genghis Khan

^^^And that is why the Mongols...

A.) Menaced China for centuries
B.) Had an empire stretching from Poland to Korea
C.) Left a genetic legacy so vast that one quarter of ALL Human beings on Earth have Mongol DNA.

5.) "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant." - John Stuart Mill

Sounds like the sort of thing that Libertarians say nowadays, except it came from a 19th century Philosopher.

6.) "I don't trust society to protect us, I have no intention of placing my fate in the hands of men whose only qualification is that they managed to con a block of people to vote for them." - Don Vito Corleone, in the original novel of The Godfather.

Looks like the Don was a Libertarian before such a thing actually existed...

Saturday, March 14, 2015

I really, really fucking HATE the music of Adele. I really don't ever want to hear another single song from Adele EVER again, with the theme song she did for the 007 movie Skyfall being the only exception. I can't deny a track from a James Bond flick.

Anyway, I hate that woman's music because I once worked in an Army installation that played her music entirely too damned much. The place played XM on the PA system in the halls. They routinely played either a classical station or a channel called 'The Blend'. The classical music was fine. I can't deny beautiful music that has withstood the centuries without losing its power over the Human soul. The Blend, however, played Adele so much you'd think it was their Crack.

Anyway, during a battalion meeting with the Battalion Commander and Command Sergeant Major, they asked for suggestions on how to improve the work environment. I suggested that they change the radio station to something else. I remember clearly saying 'Would it kill you to put on some Classic Rock or something that DOESN'T suck?'

My co-workers would bring this up in the future as well, claiming that I also stated that NOT changing the radio station could 'cause someone to 55th themselves.' That was a reference to the 55th Combat Camera company, our sister company in the battalion, which just recently had one of its soldiers commit suicide. Pretty fucked up thing to joke about but, a soldier's humor can get VERY twisted.

I don't remember saying this but, it wouldn't surprise me if I did. It's just the sort of sick twisted shit that I was known for among my friends in the unit. There are no sacred cows when it comes to what I will make jokes about, except child molestation and rape NOT involving a clown on the receiving end (*tee hee*) of the punishment. It was also not the last time I'd express a strong opinion at a unit meeting/training session.

I have to admit that I was chuckling while writing this quick little note, even though there is NOTHING funny about suicide at all. I probably need a LOT more help than anyone knows. Pray for me, children...

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

All the following were taken from a book called How to win friends and influence people, which I read years ago while I was stationed in Korea. Some of the suggestions listed here were edited for grammar or shortened for simplicity and brevity's sake. I will freely admit that I have struggled with living up to many of these suggestions. I'm often too honest for my own good and have had the misfortune of being surrounded by so many very unpleasant individuals. It's hard to maintain a level of civility and professionalism when you're dealing with so many Sierra Bravos and Blue Falcons.

FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN HANDLING PEOPLE

- People are not Creatures of Logic, no matter how much you wish they were. (A sad fact that leaves all of us Aspies in eternal dismay...)

- Harsh criticism puts people on the defensive. Be constructive in your remarks.

- Speak ill of no one, speak all the good of everyone possible.

- Don't criticize, condemn or complain.

- Give honest and sincere appreciation.

- Arouse in the other person an ‘eager want.’ (i.e. Sell your idea to them, make them want to follow your lead wherever it goes, etc.)

SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

- Become genuinely interested in other people.

- Smile. (Not necessarily impossible for Aspies but, also something we need to consciously focus on when the rest of the world does it without a single thought.)

- Remember that someone's name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. (I've got this one down...)

- Talk in terms of the other person's interests.

- Sincerely make the other person feel important.

HOW TO WIN PEOPLE TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING

- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid having the argument. (True.)

- Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say 'You're wrong.'

- Quickly and emphatically admit it if you're wrong.

- Begin in a friendly way.

- Immediately get the other person saying 'yes, yes.'

- Let the other person do a lot of the talking and just listen.

- Let the other person think the idea is theirs.

- Sincerely try to see things from the other person's point of view.

- Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.

- Appeal to the nobler motives.

- Dramatize your ideas.

- Throw down the proverbial gauntlet and challenge people to better themselves and excel.

BE A LEADER: HOW TO CHANGE PEOPLE WITHOUT GIVING OFFENSE OR AROUSING RESENTMENT

- A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior.

- Begin with praise and honest appreciation.

- Call attention to people's mistakes in an indirect manner.

- Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.

- Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.

- Let the other person save face.

- Praise every improvement, no matter how slight.

- Give the other person a fine reputation to emulate.

- Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.

- Make the other person enthusiastic to follow your suggestion. (i.e. Sell the idea to them.)

==================

And there you have it... The methods used by politicians and car salesmen to hoodwink people into doing what they want them to do. :P

Monday, March 2, 2015

There's nothing I can really say that hasn't already been said since Friday. I have been quiet about it here on this blog (but certainly not on my personal Facebook page) because I just haven't been able to function. However, Admiral Kirk already said it best in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan...

We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead.
And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death
takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a
world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He
did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not
debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can
only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his
was the most... Human.

It seems oddly fitting that the eulogy for the character in that movie also works for the actor as well. The world is certainly a much better place for having him here for nearly 84 years. Not only because of his own good works but also in what he inspired in so many others.

It's also interesting to note that the funeral scene in Wrath of Khan was not part of the original story. When Paramount did a screen test with people they pulled off the street, people were literally crying like babies when they saw Spock die. So, in a panic, they added the funeral scene and Spock doing the famous opening monologue from the original series just before the credits rolled. It was meant to give the audience some solace and closure. And now that the actor behind the character has actually passed away, everyone went back to that scene looking for comfort. Looks like the studio's plan to soften the blow actually worked... to a certain extent.

There have still been many tears shed at the news since I first heard on Friday. I found it difficult to function. All of my plans for the weekend were cancelled. I haven't been able to find much solace in anything, either. Life will go on but, it will never really be the same. It feels like a beloved teacher or grandfather just passed away... And I don't know how to process those feelings since I'm one of those rare Humans that is neurologically wired to think and act more like a Vulcan...